Be Your Own Superhero

The Jewish High Holy Days are next month. These are considered the Days of Awe. Awe is a sense of reverence and inspiration. In our chaotic, loud world it is sometimes challenging to find awe. Too much stimulus surrounds us, influencing our thinking and feeling, usually for the negative. It’s a wonder that we don’t collapse under the stress of everyday life, especially if you listen to the news much of the time. What the High Holy Days remind me is to look inward; to find my true self within the silence of contemplative thought. And since I believe that when you discover your true self you discover God, you can find God within the silence.

“God is never what you think…if you can think it, then it’s only a fraction or a reference. God is an experience, a feeling deeper than things and more than words. It is the shining light we can see anywhere and everywhere! The moment we say God is Energy, Consciousness, Love, or even Life, we apply a conceptual limit to something that is beyond words, beyond limits. That is why silence is a great place to find God.”

Jonathan Ellerby, PhD

God is energy or spirit or anything else you choose. Personally, I believe it is the energy of the universe that is within us as well as outside of us. It is everywhere, has no beginning or end, and is the force within life. The most powerful place to connect with God (or your inner life force/energy) is within silence. Silence is peaceful and still. It is where you can hear your heartbeat and notice your breath ties into the rhythm of the earth.

Imagine standing at the edge of an ocean, mesmerized by the ebb and flow of the waves. Some gently lap against the rocks; others come in more forcefully. Regardless of strength, the waves come in and then roll back out to sea. Countless living organisms ride this continuous cycle along with your body as if the energy of the earth is in sync with your breath by means of the motion of the water. As you watch the waves and witness the vast strength of the water, you are in awe. Awe is an emotion combining dread, reverence and wonder that is inspired by the sacred or magnificent. As you stand at the water’s edge soaking in this magnificence, you innately understand there must be a power greater than you, whether you call it God, Spirit, Energy or something else.

As you become present to the moment, you trust in your higher power and imagine casting the negative thoughts and feelings that weigh you down into the sea. Recognize that you are but one small component in this infinite universe. Open yourself up to receive positive energy, helping you focus on your breath, nourishing your body, mind and spirit.

In order to be, one must do. I believe a person’s life is about being the change they want to see in the world. It is about walking your talk every day through helping and truly listening to others with a nonjudgmental approach. It is about being kind and expressing gratitude. This, in turn, reflects in your overall wellness. Life teaches you to be the cause of your existence, not the effect, and that only you can shift your way of thinking to transform your feelings and behavior. This is the purpose of your superhero journey.

Today is the 12th anniversary of my receiving a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS). In honor of that blessed day I want to share a small portion of my new book, Be Your Own Superhero: A Road Map to Resilience when Faced with Chronic Dis-ease in the hope that it will bring comfort and inspiration to others who may be suffering from chronic stress or illness as well as encourage you to read/share my book. I promise it will be life-changing for the positive!

Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny – C.S. Lewis

My Message to MS After Diagnosis

You entered my life out of the blue in 2006, like a freight train derailing at top speed, and changed everything. You put me on the road less traveled; one that I would have ignored otherwise. As much as I tried to stay the course of my normal existence, you pushed me in the direction of another – the one truly meant for me even though I didn’t recognize it at the time.

As I navigated this new life path, you tried with all your might to knock me down, but I refused to fall. Through your challenging lessons you have shown me that I am not weak but strong; not hopeless but determined; and not diseased but healthy for me. You have become an integral part of me and although I occasionally stumble, I always pick myself up, dust myself off and start anew. You may always be the proverbial “elephant in the room” but I have learned to look past your oversized body and see everything else for the blessings they are.

When you first came into my life many people asked me, “Why you?” and my reply was simple: “Because I can handle it.” I find your entering my life to be the greatest gift I ever received. You awakened within me a strength I didn’t realize I had and taught me to live the life I want, not the one others think I should. You taught me a greater empathy for others who live their lives in constant suffering and gave me the tools to pass on my knowledge to help them be their own best advocates in order to live well. You also taught me what I have known all along even though I didn’t consciously realize it: when chaos arrives at my front door I do not panic. I respond with resilience.

Learning to overcome adversity is truly one of life’s gifts. When faced with a challenge there is always an opportunity that lies within that can be discovered by Getting clear, Increasing understanding, Focusing and Taking action (G.I.F.T.). You offered me an opportunity, and through it I discovered my purpose of being and am able to live my best, healthiest life. Thanks to you I have come into my own. And although it is a long road to accepting and coming to terms with your existence, I know I have the courage and faith necessary to thrive.

Through my story I will teach others how to navigate their life’s journey to their best ability by sharing how I traverse each step, each stumble and each giant leap, walking together down the path of life, taking that road less traveled.

When life feels like it is at its worst, you have the opportunity to be at your best. When the proverbial sh*t hits the fan and you start beating yourself up with the negative self-talk, you need a virtual “Moonstruck” slap-in-the-face “snap-out-of-it” moment to help you shift your mindset. Yes, life is hard. Yes, life is stressful. Bad things will happen. It is inevitable. So what can you do about it? You can shift your mindset and respond with positivity; decreasing your stress and increasing your overall wellness.

Between a stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom. – Victor Frankel

As in Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey, sometimes adversity pushes you out of your comfort zone and into the unknown. Often times the quest comes without warning; leaving little time to prepare. For example, when illness strikes you have little time to prepare for that overwhelming moment when you hear the dreaded words, “You have…” while panic automatically sets in causing you great stress. Stress can cause an increase in disease and dis-ease; taking a large toll on our physical and emotional health. And, in order to prevent falling further down this Rabbit hole of despair, you can discover your own resilience.

As you age, you have no idea how, or if, your body will betray you. The unknown is a way of life. When you have resilience you know you’ve “got this” no matter the situation. Resilience is the measurement of whether you bend or break and is one’s ability to overcome, especially when faced with adversity such as a diagnosis. It is influenced by many factors including your current physical and emotional well-being, nutrition, and spiritual practices, if any.

As you accept the ‘call to adventure’ when thrust into the unknown by adversity, you experience risk and reward; meeting each test of character, and undergoing positive transformation. Although you might not recognize it, you possess some ability or characteristic that makes you extraordinary and will assist you on your journey. My interpretation is this journey is how you discover the essence of your own resilience.

Resilience can be learned and nurtured. To do so, I use a four-step strategic thinking process taught to me by my parents during childhood: get clear, increase understanding, focus, and take action (G.I.F.T.). G.I.F.T., in essence, is a road-map to embodying resilience; affording you the ability to cope with adversity, clearly see life for the gift that it is, and help decrease stress while increasing your overall wellness.

Does this blog post speak to you? Look for my upcoming book, Be Your Own Superhero, in October 2017.